1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tape signal copying apparatus, and more specifically to a novel tape signal copying apparatus such that signals recorded on a mother tape are copied to a copy tape by urging these tapes running along a tape guide member against the tape guide member by means of air blown off through an air blow-off outlet formed in an air guide member.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Tape signal copying apparatus by which various signals such as video, audio, information, etc. magnetically recorded on a mother tape can be copied onto a copy tape have been well known. An example of these apparatus is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Published Patent Application No. 58-137137. The tape signal copying apparatus of this type comprises at least a copy drum for guiding the mother tape and the copy tape and an air guide member formed with an air blow-off outlet formed in a wall surface facing the outer periphery of the copy drum. These mother and copy tapes are passed at a high speed between the copy drum and the air guide member with two tapes arranged one upon the other, and urged against the copy drum by air blown off from an air blow-off outlet formed in the air guide in order to copy tape information signals magnetically recorded on the mother tape onto the copy tape. Further, in general, a bias magnetic head for generating a bias magnetic field within a copying area is housed within the air guide member for enabling the above-mentioned tape signal copying operation.
In the prior art tape signal copying apparatus as described above, however, there exists a problem in that the mutual positional relationship between the mother tape and the copy tape tends to slipped or to produce an offset due to tape tension fluctuations and therefore signals recorded on the mother tape are copied overlapping upon signals already copied on the copy tape after the normal copying operation; that is, the mother tape exerts a harmful influence upon the copy tape on which signals have already been copied, so that the magnitude of magnetization of the copied signals is reduced; as a result, the copied signal level is lowered; in other words, the fidelity of the copied signal in the copying operation is deteriorated.
The arrangement of the prior art magnetic tape signal copying apparatus will be described in further detail with reference to the attached drawing under DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS.
Further, the same problem as described above arises in thermal tape signal copying apparatus. That is, in case an offset of the mutual positional relationship between the mother tape and the copy tape occurs due to tape tension fluctuations, signals recorded on the mother tape exert a harmful influence upon the copy tape on which signals have already been copied, so that the thermal conditions of the copied signals are disturbed.